The Battle at Sunningrocks
by Silverstream.'-123
Summary: Brambleclaw has been exiled from ThunderClan and is now in RiverClan. Squirrelpaw will do whatever it takes to bring him back. Meanwhile, Leafpaw worries about her mentor's health as Cinderpelt falls ill with whitecough...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Of course these characters and the forest and such belong to Erin Hunter, but obviously most of this plot belongs to me. **

**Hope you like it! Please review.**

_Chapter One_

The wind blew hard over the tops of the trees. The sounds of fighting, screeching cats echoed through the forest. A battle was raging on.

In the midst of it all, hissing and tussling with a big, spotted she-cat, was a muscular tabby. Beside him, his leader, a flame-coloured tom, was fighting as well.

"Brambleclaw!" a mew squeaked behind him. "Watch out!"

Brambleclaw dodged Leopardstar's paw, which had missed his belly by an inch. Brambleclaw turned quickly and acknowledged the apprentice who had given him the warning, and kept fighting. Leopardstar snarled angrily as he clawed her ear and tore it grandly, crimson blood dripping out over her face.

Brambleclaw had almost finished her off. With one last swipe on her belly, she ran away yowling into the bushes, followed by a few of her clan mates. But others wanted to stay and fight, and Brambleclaw was ready to battle once more.

He turned to the next one, who was standing in the shadows, heaving a breath. _This one should be easy, _Brambleclaw thought, and yowled victoriously as he landed on top of the cat. The RiverClan cat he was fighting was too tired to even protest, and they pawed each other easily, until Brambleclaw thought of a fighting move Firestar, his leader, had taught him when he was apprenticed.

"Firestar!" meowed a voice urgently behind him. Brambleclaw froze for a second, hoping his beloved leader was alright (he was on his last life), but he kept his eyes on the RiverClan cat. The enemy cat sat gazing at him, rasping, "No, Brambleclaw, no—"

"You scared?" taunted the young tom, his amber eyes narrowed. "I bet you a piece of fresh-kill that you are!"

And he jumped on the cat, tearing at his throat, and they moved into the dim light of the moon. There, Brambleclaw could see the flame-colored pelt of the cat he had attacked.

"Oh no!" he howled. "Not Firestar!"

But the cat was too injured to be saved even by the most skilled medicine cat, and Brambleclaw sat next to his fallen leader, taking care to lick his cheek before he fell away.

"Brambleclaw, I exile you from this Clan while I am still leader. I trusted you!" Firestar's voice was filled with desperation and sadness. His eyes flared at Brambleclaw and as other ThunderClan cats began to gather around, hearing what Firestar had to say, they began to give Brambleclaw the brush-off, and he padded away, shaken. How could he have done that? Why didn't he recognize that the cat he was fighting was not a tired RiverClan warrior but a worn-out leader? Brambleclaw knew there was no hope for him to stay in ThunderClan. He had to leave, he was an outlaw now. Firestar had proclaimed it while he was still alive. Brambleclaw watched the cats gather around Firestar, giving their good-byes and taking him back to camp. The RiverClan warriors, seeing the sudden death of Firestar, padded away slowly back to their own territory. Hawkfrost, Brambleclaw's half-brother, acknowledged him with a flick of his tail before disappearing into the bushes. They had been fighting on Sunningrocks, the place where the two Clans fought regularly, for RiverClan wished they had Sunningrocks on their territory, and ThunderClan wouldn't let them take it.

"Brambleclaw!"

Brambleclaw grew more sober as he realized the familiar voice. It was Squirrelpaw, Sandstorm and Firestar's daughter. Her orange pelt was a reminder of her father, and he squinted at her, waiting for more jeers, as she usually gave him.

But this time it was different.

"Hey, Brambleclaw. Sorry about your accident," Squirrelpaw meowed sympathetically, licking his ear roughly. "Any cat could've made the mistake in the shadows of the trees."

"It doesn't matter any more, though, Squirrelpaw! I'm exiled! If I'm still here by dawn I'll probably be chased off the territory. Everything is over for me. And Firestar's joined StarClan! He'll never forgive me! You don't know how disappointed in me he was when he died, Squirrelpaw. I'll keep that burden forever, and I will never live to be a successful warrior of ThunderClan. I'm sorry. I must leave."

Squirrelpaw, who hadn't had a chance to get a word in, watched Brambleclaw stalked away in the direction of RiverClan territory. Would Brambleclaw really join RiverClan? He wouldn't! It was enemy territory!

Squirrelpaw hissed in disgust as she watched Brambleclaw walk across the stepping stones toward the territory. He was probably going to go to his half-brother, Hawkfrost. Leopardstar would surely let him into RiverClan—after all, he was kin with one of RiverClan's best warriors. Squirrelpaw went the opposite direction, to ThunderClan's camp, staring back at the old ThunderClan warrior and sighing. Then she disappeared into the trees as well, not looking back so she wouldn't feel any more sorrow than she felt now.

Leafpaw watched the cats return from battle as she sorted the herbs Cinderpelt needed. Leafpaw noticed her sister pad in to camp, looking defeated and sad. Leafpaw felt her sister's sadness deep in her belly, and abandoned the herbs to chat with the flame-coloured she-cat.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Firestar's dead!" Squirrelpaw blurted out, her green eyes somber. "And Brambleclaw's been exiled."

Squirrelpaw briefly explained what happened. Her face flashed with an emotion, tender but angry, as she spoke of Brambleclaw's mishap.

There was no more time to chat. Graystripe, the deputy of ThunderClan, was at the Highrock, calling a Clan meeting.

"Firestar was killed in a battle at Sunningrocks, buy none other than the former ThunderClan warrior, Brambleclaw!"

There were yowls and hisses of protest from the crowd of cats sitting by the rock. Squirrelpaw's face was hidden, but Leafpaw could sense her hate for Brambleclaw. Yet there was a strange force, caring and tender, that kept her from yowling with the others.

"I will be your leader," Graystripe announced, "and will serve you the best I can. I will travel to Mothermouth shortly with a chosen apprentice, and chose a deputy the next moonhigh."

The meeting broke out and Squirrelpaw turned to Leafpaw, looking enraged.

"I was nice to Brambleclaw when he murdered my father," she hissed. "And what does he answer? 'I must leave.' Not even a good-bye! Brambleclaw was about as useful to this Clan as a dried piece of fox dung! We should all forget about that mouse-brain."

With that Squirrelpaw flounced away, leaving Leafpaw to think about what Squirrelpaw had said. The truth was, Brambleclaw was a strong, skilled warrior, and he was one of the Clan's most valuable members.

"Leafpaw!" Cinderpelt's mew sounded desperate. "We've got a case of the white-cough on our paws! Sorreltail, the newest warrior, is dangerously sick. She hasn't been to ill until today."

Leafpaw blinked. White-cough! She quickly put together the herbs she needed and joined Cinderpelt in the warriors' den, where Sorreltail lay, deathly quiet. Leafpaw and Cinderpelt carried her into the medicine cats' den.

"Go wash your paws in the stream, or you'll get sick as well," urged Cinderpelt.

"But you will too!" objected Leafpaw.

"I have to handle her again anyway, and I'll be fine. Now go!" Cinderpelt snapped, already starting to chew up some herbs.

Squirrelpaw didn't see her sister leave, because she was talking with Graystripe.

"You want ME to come to Mothermouth with you?" squeaked Squirrelpaw, forgetting about Brambleclaw for a moment.

"Yes. To become a warrior, you must go to Mothermouth, so why not go now?"

"Alright, I'll come!" Squirrelpaw mewed. She was excited at the prospect of becoming a warrior.

"Good. Grab some traveling herbs for us from Cinderpelt. She's too busy with this case of white-cough to come, so she said to take an apprentice along with me."

Squirrelpaw dipped her head respectfully and streaked to the medicine cats' den.

"Traveling herbs!" she yowled into the darkness, excited to go to Highstones.

Once she had collected the herbs from Cinderpelt, she went back to Graystripe, who ate his, a disgusted look on his face as he chewed. Squirrelpaw almost choked before swallowing up the disgusting herbs, but her excitement was too great to be ruined by the bitter flavour.

"We're not going to Fourtrees. Instead we're going through RiverClan," Graystripe explained as they exited camp, followed by a few yowls of good-byes.

"Why?" asked Squirrelpaw. Going through Fourtrees was the faster, easier route.

"No reason." Graystripe was lying—Squirrelpaw could see the guilt etched across his face. "I need a walk."

"Oh."

There was no conversation between the older, wiser deputy and the confident, headstrong apprentice as they padded along, winding through unfamiliar paths to avoid the RiverClan patrol whose scent seemed to be following them. Unfortunately, the moment before Squirrelpaw's pad hit the ground on WindClan territory, a rough, stern voice meowed, "What are you doing on our territory?"

Squirrelpaw turned and grimaced when she saw a small group of a familiar cats. There was the bluish grey pelt of Feathertail; the sharp blue eyes of Mistyfoot, the RiverClan deputy; Hawkfrost, his dark pelt shining in the dim sunlight; and Brambleclaw, staring guiltily at the ground.

"You should know why we're here," she snapped at Hawkfrost, shooting a menacing glance toward her former Clan mate. "He's the one who caused this whole thing anyway."

She flicked her dark ginger tail towards Brambleclaw.

"Ah, Firestar's death. A pity," meowed Hawkfrost. "Traveling to Highstones, are we?"

"Why are you on our territory?" asked Feathertail gently. Squirrelpaw knew she would never attack them, for Graystripe was her father.

"Why not go through Fourtrees?" added Mistyfoot.

"We needed a walk," yawned Graystripe. "Now we must be going. I bid you good hunting!"  
They paraded across the WindClan border, leaving the RiverClan warriors alone. Squirrelpaw was surprised and angered by the fact that they had not taken a moment to grieve for Firestar, a brave and noble leader, and she also became worried as she realized that there hadn't been a proper burial for the orange-furred leader. She hoped they hadn't angered StarClan by waiting, but the shock of Brambleclaw's treachery had numbed their sense. ThunderClan would grieve for their fallen leader when their new leader returned from the Moonstone.

They didn't get caught by a patrol on WindClan territory, even though there was the fresh scent of WindClan cats close by. Soon the two had reached Mothermouth, and they laid down to rest and wait until the moon ascended into the indigo sky.

"My father was your friend, right?" asked Squirrelpaw, trying to strike up a conversation. She groomed her matted, wind-blown fur.

"Yes." Graystripe gave a small mew of laughter, shadowed by the grieve her must've felt. "I remember the time he ate a piece of fresh-kill when the Clan wasn't fed.. and how he was so against me and Silverstream getting together… and a few moons ago when Firestar, Ravenpaw and I saved my kits from TigerClan."

"Wow," Squirrelpaw mewed. She wished she could say more, but right then the moon appeared in the middle of the sky, and Graystripe nudged her up from her sitting position.

"Follow my scent."

It was completely black in the tunnel when they entered. Squirrelpaw stayed close to Graystripe, not wanting to get lost in all the twisting, turning tunnels. It seemed like hours before they reached the cavern where the Moonstone lay.

As the stone made contact with the moonlight, a dazzling white light filled the room and almost blinded Squirrelpaw. She could see everything clearly: Graystripe was lying down, his nose touching the magnificent stone. By a sudden urge, Squirrelpaw knelt beside him and touched the stone with her nose, its dazzling light becoming completely black. She felt horrendously cold and shivered, opening her eyes into slits. They flew open right away, for Squirrelpaw was no longer at the Moonstone. She was in the leaders' den at the ThunderClan camp! Her father, looking troubled, was there as well.

"Firestar!" she yowled, and threw herself at him, licking his glittering flank.

"Squirrelpaw, listen closely."

"Okay."

"Alright…"

Firestar looked at her closely and meowed, "Sometimes the seemingly innocent are so very, very guilty…"

Well! It was obvious that he was talking about Brambleclaw.

"Tell me more!" she yowled, but he sighed and vanished into thin air.

She was being shaken awake. Groggily opening her eyes, she realized it was Graystripe nudging her awake.

"Did you get your name and receive your nine lives?" she asked him innocently, yawning and standing up. There was little light left from the Moonstone. Graystripe's yellow eyes blazed angrily as he nodded. That meant his name was now Graystar.

When they exited the cave Graystar burst out screeching.

"Squirrelpaw, that stone is used by medicine cats and leaders, not little apprentices too mouse-brained to do anything right!" he hissed.

Her curiosity fading, Squirrelpaw snapped, "You're not my mentor! Don't tell me what to do!"

She flounced off in the direction of WindClan territory, not bothering to tell her leader of the odd prophecy she had just heard from her beloved, dead father.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, but I do own Sugarstripe and this plot. **

**Please read and review!**

_Chapter Two_

Brambleclaw made his way through the bushes close to where the river ran. He padded silently, hoping no cat was following him, for this would be a definite sign of the fact that his loyalty was still to ThunderClan.

The young tabby tom walked out of the RiverClan camp often, usually at night, to visit the river and look across, hoping for some sign of ThunderClan activity. Today, all he saw was the shadows of the trees, bristling slightly in the wind.

"Spying, are we?" asked a voice. Hawkfrost appeared behind him, looking sympathetic. "Brambleclaw, I know I've never had to divide my loyalties, but even if you did ask to go back to ThunderClan, what would the chances be of them taking you back? You've got to understand that you might be stuck in RiverClan—forever. So why not make the best of the situation, and act as you would in ThunderClan. Make alliances. RiverClan doesn't blame you for what happens—it makes us stronger—so everyone is happy you're here."

Brambleclaw's paws ached and his heart throbbed. He looked at the river and across it, wishing that the battle at Sunningrocks had just been a dream.

"Brambleclaw?" meowed Hawkfrost. "Let's go back to camp."

"You go," Brambleclaw replied. "I need to think about this."

Brambleclaw watched his half brother disappear into the bushes. For one thing, Hawkfrost was right—he might as well make the best of it. But he missed ThunderClan dearly, and all the cats in it. Is this how his sister, Tawnypelt, had felt when she had joined ShadowClan?

"No," Brambleclaw decided, "She went there on purpose. She felt her loyalties were less divided and made more sense there."

"What's not making sense is where your loyalties lie!" a voice mewed at the other side of the river. "Looks like you're desperate to come back to ThunderClan."

"I am not!" Brambleclaw flared up, recognizing the orange pelt of Squirrelpaw.

"Gazing across the river all day and night?" meowed Squirrelpaw scornfully. "I think so!"

"You've been watching me," Brambleclaw told her. "I've seen your eyes in the shadows. You want me to come back, don't you?"

"Look, Brambleclaw." Squirrelpaw's voice was no longer loud and sarcastic but quiet and determined. "We've lost Sorreltail already to white-cough, and now other warriors have caught it as well! We need strong, healthy cats. Graystar would probably let you come back."

"Firestar exiled me, and besides, if I went back to ThunderClan every cat would scorn me and hate me. Sorry, Squirrelpaw, but I can't live with that!"

"Fine. But you're supposed to defend your birth-Clan with your life." Squirrelpaw's eyes glazed as she looked at him. "Good luck doing that in RiverClan."

She stalked away. Her words hurt Brambleclaw, like thorns pricking into his heart. He turned away as well, and padded to camp, thinking up a plan that he would soon reveal to Hawkfrost.

It hurt Squirrelpaw to say that too. Brambleclaw was starting to grow on her, his amber eyes looking less and less hostile, and she had decided to catch him when he was alone and ask him to come back. 'Well, that was a flop,' she thought. 'Now he's probably even more determined to attack ThunderClan!'

As she came back to camp Squirrelpaw dragged a piece of fresh-kill into the warriors' den and ate it there. White-cough was spreading all over camp: Leafpaw and Cinderpelt had their paws full, and Graystar still had to pick a deputy.

It was dawn now. Graystar still had an uncertainty in his eyes as he climbed onto Highrock, but his eyes became hopeful once more as he loomed over the cats.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here at the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

He worded everything differently than Firestar had. At times like this, Squirrelpaw missed her wise father dearly, but knew she had to move on. Squirrelpaw padded out of the warriors' den and took her place under the Highrock, like all the other healthy cats. There were still mewls of pain and persistent coughing from the medicine den as Graystar began.

He meowed the words that Firestar had so many moons ago to make Graystar his deputy.

"The new deputy will be…"

He looked down at the cats and meowed to the sky, "Brackenfur!"

All cats blinked in surprise. Brackenfur was an older warrior, wise indeed, and skilled as well. It dawned on Squirrelpaw that he would make an excellent deputy.

"Now, we have one more ceremony to do. Leafpaw and Squirrelpaw, come up here, please."

Squirrelpaw, quivering with excitement, came up on the rock. Dustpelt, her mentor, followed her.

"These two have worked hard and are ready to become warriors. Each have a special talent to share with the Clan."

Graystar's anger for Squirrelpaw was gone, and instead lay pride, that sparkled in his eyes like the stars above.

"Squirrelpaw, I name you Squirrelfur. Do you promise to serve your Clan well?"

"I do," promised Squirrelfur, licking her orange fur happily.

"Leafpaw, I name you Leafwind. Do you promise to fulfill your journey as a medicine cat and help all those in need for the rest of your eternity?"

"I do."

"Welcome these two warriors, Squirrelfur and Leafwind, to ThunderClan!"

"Squirrelfur! Leafwind! Squirrelfur! Leafwind!" cried the cats below, congratulating the warrior and the medicine cat. "Now, Leafwind must get back to her patients! The meeting is done."

The cats below returned to their dens, licking Brackenfur as they passed him. Brackenfur and Graystar disappeared into the leader's den, and the clearing was now silent and empty, the calls of the sick cats echoing around ThunderClan territory, for miles around.

Across the river, in RiverClan, Brambleclaw was swimming to the island that they called camp. For a ThunderClan cat, Brambleclaw was a skilled swimmer, but the deep current of the river made him work even harder.

Hawkfrost, standing at the edge of the island, grabbed his scruff, and awkwardly lifted him onto firm ground.

"Thanks," gasped Brambleclaw, shaking the water off his soaked pelt. "What happened while I was gone?"

"Well," Hawkfrost explained, "Leopardstar declared another surprise battle on Sunningrocks, and we welcomed a new member into our Clan."

He sniffed with contempt as he said that. Brambleclaw realized that his half-brother had no right to do that, for Hawkfrost had been a rogue and was welcomed into the Clan as well.

"Her name was Wind that Rustles the Trees, but now she is called Sugarstripe."

Brambleclaw padded curiously into camp, quickly spotting the new she-cat. She was a beautiful tortoishell, with pretty green eyes.

"Hello," Brambleclaw meowed as he approached her. She was sitting alone by the fresh-kill pile, eating a rabbit. She looked distantly lonely. "I'm Brambleclaw."

"Sugarstripe," greeted the she-cat. "Are you the cat who accidentally killed his leader? In my old tribe, the Tribe of Rushing Waters, we would've called you a shadow slayer. You did kill him in the shadows?"

"It was an accident!" Brambleclaw wailed. "I miss my Clan so dearly."

He said the last part quietly, hoping that Hawkfrost wasn't nearby.

"Me too," agreed Sugarstripe. "I loved a prey-hunter in my tribe, and he walks through my dreams, and I call to him."

"I had a cat I loved too," he murmured, realizing it now. Squirrelpaw's green eyes blinked lovingly at him from inside his head. "But I never told her, and she hates me now. It was her father I killed."

"Squirrelpaw?" asked Sugarstripe.

"Hawkfrost told you." Brambleclaw let his fur down, his anger battling with the calmness he felt talking with Sugarstripe. "Perhaps we can be lonely together," he meowed, changing the subject.

"Yes, that'd be good." Brambleclaw took a piece of fresh-kill and ate it quickly, padding to the warrior's den with Sugarstripe and talking with her, learning more about the Tribe of Rushing Water, and the prey-hunter she loved.

The next morning Brambleclaw taught his new friend how to catch mice and rabbits, and they went to the fighting hollow to practice fighting. Brambleclaw had to admit that Sugarstripe was a skilled warrior at both, and he would be scared to meet her in battle.

They spent a lot of time together, becoming more and more affectionate toward each other. Soon enough, Brambleclaw forgot about Squirrelpaw and spent all his time with Sugarstripe, laughing with her, sharing tongues with her, and loving her dearly.

"I love you, Brambleclaw," she meowed to him quietly one night. "I can't hide it anymore. I love you."

"I love you too, Sugarstripe." He nuzzled her, and they slept close together, licking each other calmly.

Sugarstripe had a long day the day before and was going to sleep all day, Brambleclaw was sure of it. But Brambleclaw woke up and couldn't sleep again, so he got up. It was sun-high, but he wasn't hungry. He took off back across the river and padded along until he reached the river. He looked across at ThunderClan territory, and didn't feel so homesick anymore. 'And this is all because of Sugarstripe,' he thought, picturing her in his mind and growing warm with happiness at the thought of her.

A patrol soon appeared on ThunderClan territory. There were only two cats: Squirrelpaw and Brackenfur. They both stopped at the river, smelling Brambleclaw's scent. He had hidden behind a bush.

"You stay here," Brackenfur told Squirrelpaw. "I'll go back to camp. We can't let RiverClan steal Sunningrocks—we'll need guards. I'll be right back."

Brambleclaw had no idea what he was talking about, but now he watched Squirrelpaw lay at the side of the river, her head on her paws, looking forlorn and sad.

"Hello, Squirrelpaw." The tabby tom stepped out from behind the bush.

"I thought I could smell you," growled Squirrelpaw. "And by the way, it's Squirrelfur now. And Brackenfur's deputy."

"Interesting," Brambleclaw meowed heartily. For once, he didn't seem too upset about what happened in ThunderClan.

"Look, I wanted to tell you something," Squirrelfur meowed.

"No, me first. I've found a mate!"

Squirrelfur's eyes went wide with shock.

"Who?" she asked quietly.

"A new cat called Sugarstripe. She's amazing!"

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Squirrelfur, gritting her teeth to keep herself from yowling. She was going to say that she loved Brambleclaw, that she loved him with all her heart. But he loved another.

"Because I wanted you to know. We've decided we might try to have kits. Perhaps I'll be a father soon!" cried Brambleclaw, his eyes wide.

"Yay!" hissed Squirrelfur sarcastically. "I'm leaving."

"But Brackenfur—"

"Who cares? I don't! Neither do you!"

Brambleclaw, a tiny bit hurt, watched his old love walk away, and thought, 'What'd I say?'

Squirrelfur returned to camp, her heart seemingly ripped in two. She looked back once, and saw a beautiful tortoishell appear behind him, licking him gently. But he didn't take his eyes off Squirrelfur, who stalked off into the trees, her tail drooping with hurt.

"Who's that?" asked Sugarstripe.

"Squirrelfur, Firestar's daughter," Brambleclaw replied. He had explained about how he had murdered Firestar, and Sugarstripe had understood. "She's my friend. I used to love her."

"You loved an apprentice?" meowed Sugarstripe. "That's mouse-brained. I would've waited until she was a warrior."

"I can't control my feelings!" Brambleclaw hissed, facing her, anger burning in his amber eyes.

"You should learn you. This temper might bring you into trouble one day. And, by the way, I came to tell you that I'm pregnant with kits."

"What?" Brambleclaw asked, his head dizzy with confusion.

"Mudfur says it's not your kits, Brambleclaw. He says that it's my old mate's kits."

Brambleclaw stayed silent. This was happening way too fast! First, Squirrelfur was mad at him, second, he got into an argument with his mate, and thirdly, she was having kits with another?

"I think I might return to the Tribe of Rushing Water," Sugarstripe mewed quietly. "I'm so sorry, Brambleclaw. I didn't want it to happen this way."

"Why should I care if you leave? You love another. You were deceiving me."

She bristled with anger as she left, leaving Brambleclaw beside the river. The happiness he had felt just minutes ago drained out of him, and he felt even more hostile towards ThunderClan. A few moments later, Hawkfrost appeared.

"Tell me, when are we going to attack ThunderClan?" asked Brambleclaw.

"Sunhigh tomorrow," Hawkfrost answered. "Leopardstar told me to ask you if you wanted to join in."

"Tell her that I would be most pleased to fight my birth Clan," Brambleclaw meowed, an angry flicker in his narrowed amber eyes. Now he looked more like his traitorous father than ever.

"Good," mewed Hawkfrost, and the two half-brothers walked off together in silence. 


End file.
